An Executive Order signed by Gov. Brian Kemp on Saturday has extended a shelter in place order for the medically fragile until August 31, and banned large gatherings across the state.
Kemp's order also allows local governments to issue mask mandates for public property, but restricted them from extending those requirements to private property.
"[W]e cannot grow complacent," Kemp said in an press release announcing the executive order. "This Executive Order extends the shelter in place order for the medically fragile, continues the ban on large gatherings, and maintains health and safety protocols for Georgia businesses."
Kemp's new directive aims to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Georgia, which has remained a hot spot for the virus throughout the pandemic.
By early Saturday evening, over 3,300 news cases and 96 deaths were confirmed by state officials. However, in his statement, Gov. Kemp took a wider view on the recent COVID-19 trends statewide.
“In Georgia, our statewide case numbers have dropped 22% over the last two weeks, and daily hospitalizations have decreased by 7% in the last seven days,” Kemp said. “We are on average testing over 31,000 Georgians daily at 180 SPOCs while maintaining a low rate of transmission. The positivity rate is on the decline, and the mortality rate continues to fall.”
The Executive Order also renewed restrictions regarding business protocols and public gatherings.
